Nairobi: National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO) and law enforcement officers have decried the shortage of government vehicles for effective service delivery at the grassroots level. During a Jukwaa la Usalama County Tour in Olkalou, Nyandarua County, the administrators and law enforcers cited that only a few government vehicles are available for service delivery, which is an impediment to efficient and effective service delivery.
According to Kenya News Agency, Philis Wairimu, an officer commanding a police station, noted that Nyandarua County, with 23 police stations, has only 8 vehicles, and out of these, only six are functional. Wairimu pointed out that a shortage of police vehicles affects effective patrols as well as the mobility of police officers during emergencies. She urged the government to consider providing the officers with motorcycles to complement the available vehicles.
The OCS further pointed out that in order to have prompt and effective service, police officers should be housed near or within police stations where they can be accessed easily in case of an emergency, noting that currently some police officers have rented houses away from the stations which make it difficult to respond to emergencies in time. Her sentiments were echoed by Judy Onyango, Assistant County Commissioner, who said there is a shortage of vehicles in the sub-counties.
The participants also called on the government to gazette Nyandarua County as a hardship area owing to the biting cold climate, which adversely affects them. Notably, police officers urged the government to consider provision of uniform that suits the cold climate in the county to cushion them from adverse effects of cold. Further on uniform, the officers urged the government to address the issue of members of public wearing attires resembling police uniforms saying this creates confusion hence 'thieves in police uniforms' scenarios.
Chiefs and their assistants called upon the government to operationalize the gazetted locations in the county to take service delivery closer to the people. Peter Ng'ang'a noted there are several administrative units in Aberdare and South Kinangop Sub Counties which were gazetted but are yet to be operationalized. They also urged the government to consider establishing a state-funded legal services for the chiefs to cater for the administrators who find themselves prosecuted in court for actions they took while discharging their duties.
Ng'ang'a cited a case of a chief who is currently facing murder charges as a result of death of a victim who fell down and died while running away to avoid arrest during a raid on illicit brew. The chiefs also urged the government to establish distribution centres for government subsidized fertilizer in every ward to ease its distribution, and are also calling for consideration for extraneous allowances for the chiefs for extra duties they undertake, for instance recent registration process of farmers across the country. The administrators appreciated the government for the trainings and promotions going on and recommend for regular training to keep them up to their tasks.